Context Aware Computing for The Internet of Things: A Survey

As we are moving towards the Internet of Things (IoT), the number of sensors deployed around the world is growing at a rapid pace. Market research has shown a significant growth of sensor deployments over the past decade and has predicted a significant increment of the growth rate in the future. These sensors continuously generate enormous amounts of data. However, in order to add value to raw sensor data we need to understand it. Collection, modelling, reasoning, and distribution of context in relation to sensor data plays critical role in this challenge. Context-aware computing has proven to be successful in understanding sensor data. In this paper, we survey context awareness from an IoT perspective. We present the necessary background by introducing the IoT paradigm and context-aware fundamentals at the beginning. Then we provide an in-depth analysis of context life cycle. We evaluate a subset of projects (50) which represent the majority of research and commercial solutions proposed in the field of context-aware computing conducted over the last decade (2001-2011) based on our own taxonomy. Finally, based on our evaluation, we highlight the lessons to be learnt from the past and some possible directions for future research. The survey addresses a broad range of techniques, methods, models, functionalities, systems, applications, and middleware solutions related to context awareness and IoT. Our goal is not only to analyse, compare and consolidate past research work but also to appreciate their findings and discuss their applicability towards the IoT.Comment: IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials Journal, 201

Security Management Framework for the Internet of Things

The increase in the design and development of wireless communication technologies offers multiple opportunities for the management and control of cyber-physical systems with connections between smart and autonomous devices, which provide the delivery of simplified data through the use of cloud computing. Given this relationship with the Internet of Things (IoT), it established the concept of pervasive computing that allows any object to communicate with services, sensors, people, and objects without human intervention. However, the rapid growth of connectivity with smart applications through autonomous systems connected to the internet has allowed the exposure of numerous vulnerabilities in IoT systems by malicious users. This dissertation developed a novel ontology-based cybersecurity framework to improve security in IoT systems using an ontological analysis to adapt appropriate security services addressed to threats. The composition of this proposal explores two approaches: (1) design time, which offers a dynamic method to build security services through the application of a methodology directed to models considering existing business processes; and (2) execution time, which involves monitoring the IoT environment, classifying vulnerabilities and threats, and acting in the environment, ensuring the correct adaptation of existing services. The validation approach was used to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the proposed cybersecurity framework. It implies the evaluation of the ontology to offer a qualitative evaluation based on the analysis of several criteria and also a proof of concept implemented and tested using specific industrial scenarios. This dissertation has been verified by adopting a methodology that follows the acceptance in the research community through technical validation in the application of the concept in an industrial setting.O aumento no projeto e desenvolvimento de tecnologias de comunicação sem fio oferece múltiplas oportunidades para a gestão e controle de sistemas ciber-físicos com conexões entre dispositivos inteligentes e autônomos, os quais proporcionam a entrega de dados simplificados através do uso da computação em nuvem. Diante dessa relação com a Internet das Coisas (IoT) estabeleceu-se o conceito de computação pervasiva que permite que qualquer objeto possa comunicar com os serviços, sensores, pessoas e objetos sem intervenção humana. Entretanto, o rápido crescimento da conectividade com as aplicações inteligentes através de sistemas autônomos conectados com a internet permitiu a exposição de inúmeras vulnerabilidades dos sistemas IoT para usuários maliciosos. Esta dissertação desenvolveu um novo framework de cibersegurança baseada em ontologia para melhorar a segurança em sistemas IoT usando uma análise ontológica para a adaptação de serviços de segurança apropriados endereçados para as ameaças. A composição dessa proposta explora duas abordagens: (1) tempo de projeto, o qual oferece um método dinâmico para construir serviços de segurança através da aplicação de uma metodologia dirigida a modelos, considerando processos empresariais existentes; e (2) tempo de execução, o qual envolve o monitoramento do ambiente IoT, a classificação de vulnerabilidades e ameaças, e a atuação no ambiente garantindo a correta adaptação dos serviços existentes. Duas abordagens de validação foram utilizadas para demonstrar a viabilidade da implementação do framework de cibersegurança proposto. Isto implica na avaliação da ontologia para oferecer uma avaliação qualitativa baseada na análise de diversos critérios e também uma prova de conceito implementada e testada usando cenários específicos. Esta dissertação foi validada adotando uma metodologia que segue a validação na comunidade científica através da validação técnica na aplicação do nosso conceito em um cenário industrial

Trust and reputation policy-based mechanisms for self-protection in autonomic communications

Currently, there is an increasing tendency to migrate the management of communications and information systems onto the Web. This is making many traditional service support models obsolete. In addition, current security mechanisms are not sufficiently robust to protect each management system and/or subsystem from web-based intrusions, malware, and hacking attacks. This paper presents research challenges in autonomic management to provide self-protection mechanisms and tools by using trust and reputation concepts based on policy-based management to decentralize management decisions. This work also uses user-based reputation mechanisms to help enforce trust management in pervasive and communications services. The scope of this research is founded in social models, where the application of trust and reputation applied in communication systems helps detect potential users as well as hackers attempting to corrupt management operations and services. These so-called “cheating services” act as “attacks”, altering the performance and the security in communication systems by consumption of computing or network resources unnecessarily